Steinberg Cubase SE - 3.0 Getting Started

Getting Started

Original Manual: Synkron Revision and Quality Control: C. Bachmann, H. Bischoff, S. Pfeifer, C. Schomburg

The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media except as specifically allowed in the License Agreement. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permission by Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.

All product and company names are ™ or ® trademarks of their respective owners. Windows XP is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. The Mac logo is a trademark used under license. Macintosh and Power Macintosh are registered trademarks.

Table of Contents

7 Introduction

61 Basic Methods

8 Welcome 9 About the manuals and the

Help

12 How you can reach us

13 Installation and

Requirements for Windows

14 About this chapter 14 Requirements 18 Hardware installation 21 Installing Cubase SE

25 Installation and

Requirements for Mac OS X

26 About this chapter 26 Requirements 29 Hardware installation 31 Installing Cubase SE

35 Setting up your

system

36 Setting up audio 45 Setting up MIDI 49 Connecting a synchronizer 50 Setting up video 51 Optimizing audio

performance

55 Basic Cubase SE

concepts

56 About this chapter 56 The project 58 Audio terminology 60 MIDI terminology 60 Video terminology

62 About this chapter 62 Using menus 64 Using tools 66 Changing values 70 Selecting objects 71 Zoom and view techniques 73 Window handling 76 Undo

79 Guided Tour

80 The main windows in

Cubase SE

89 Tutorial 1: Recording

and playing back audio

90 About this tutorial 91 Creating a new project 93 Preparing to record 99 Recording 99 Playing back what you just

recorded

100 Recording more events 101 Playing back in a cycle

103 Tutorial 2: Recording

and playing back

MIDI

104 About this tutorial 105 Setting up for recording

MIDI

108 Recording MIDI 108 Playing back what you just

recorded

109 Playing back in a cycle 110 Transposing the MIDI track

CUBASE SE

4 Table of Contents

113 Tutorial 3: Mixing

114 About this tutorial 114 Preparations 116 Setting levels 117 Setting pan 118 Using Mute and Solo 119 Adding EQ to an audio

channel

123 Audio effects 129 Automation

131 Tutorial 4: Editing in

the Project window

132 About this tutorial 132 Preparations 133 Overview 134 Moving and copying events 136 Muting and erasing events 137 Splitting and resizing events 139 Adding a fade

141 Tutorial 5: Using

VST Instruments

142 About this tutorial 142 Preparations 143 Activating a VST Instrument 145 Routing 146 Playing back 147 Adding another instrument 149 Playing a VST Instrument in

real time

151 Recording

159 Tutorial 7: Editing

MIDI

160 About this tutorial 160 Opening the Key Editor 161 Drawing events in the Key

Editor

162 Selecting and moving

events

163 About quantize 165 Editing velocity in the

controller display

167 Tutorial 8:

Customizing

168 About this tutorial 169 Setting preferences 171 Setting up key commands 174 Changing the look of the

toolbar

176 Changing the appearance

of the program

177 Applying track colors 180 Creating a template 183 Setting up Zoom presets

185 Shortcuts &

key commands

186 About this chapter 186 The default key commands

193 Index

153 Tutorial 6: Editing

audio

154 About this tutorial 154 The Sample Editor 157 Processing audio

CUBASE SE

Table of Contents 5

CUBASE SE

6 Table of Contents

Introduction

Welcome

Congratulations and thank you for purchasing Cubase SE, Steinberg’s Cubase Start Edition. This version of Cubase sets a new standard for entry-level music production software. It combines the experience of more than 20 years in designing music software applications with the latest advances in digital audio technology. Perfection runs in the family. Cubase SX and Cubase SL have proven to be some of the most powerful tools for audio and MIDI production available today. Cubase SE provides you with these same tools.

Whether you are a beginner and new to the world of computer-based music production, or a more experienced musician/producer switching to Cubase from some other software: Cubase SE will help you realize your musical ideas and turn out productions which sound like they were created on a system costing ten times more. But best of all: once you have made yourself familiar with Cubase SE’s interface and tools, you will be able to handle any other version of Cubase just as easily.

Cubase SE has a lot to offer, given that it is a special version of our more advanced software solutions. Chances are, you will dive deep into the creative process without ever reaching the limits of this program. It offers professional audio quality of 24 bit, full VST effects and VST instrument support, pitch-shifting and time-stretching, and even our advanced VST System Link protocol to link multiple computers and share processing power between them.

Multiple audio import and output formats allow you to share your work with others, while our CD audio grabbing feature gives you easy access to loops and effects from external sources. Cubase SE supports the latest audio hardware, and even remote control devices like our own Houston controller. For editing your audio or MIDI tracks, you will find power tools and functions, like the popular Key, List, Drum and Score editors. And to master your work, the powerful mixer gives you professional mixing, effects and automation.

Our goal is to provide you with the best quality music software possible. In order to achieve this, we need your input! Please visit the Steinberg website if you have any ideas or suggestions on how to make Cubase even more powerful. We look forward to hearing from you!

The Steinberg Cubase Team

CUBASE SE

1 – 8 Introduction

About the manuals and the Help

The Cubase SE documentation is divided into several sections, as listed below. Most of the documents are in Adobe Acrobat format (extension “.pdf”) - these can be accessed in the following ways:

• You can open the pdf documents from the Help menu in the program.

• Under Windows you can also open these documents from the Cubase SE Documentation subfolder on the Windows Start menu.

• Under Mac OS X the pdf documents are located in the folder “/Library/Documentation/Steinberg/Cubase SE 3” or in the Cubase SE program folder under “/Contents/Documentation/”.

• To read the pdf documents you need to have the Acrobat Reader application installed on your computer.

An Acrobat installer is provided on the program DVD.

The Getting Started book

This is the book you are reading now. The Getting Started book covers the following areas:

• Computer requirements.

• Installation issues.

• Setting up your system for audio, MIDI and/or video work.

• A guided tour of the main Cubase SE windows.

• Tutorials describing the most common procedures for recording, playing back, mixing and editing in Cubase SE.

• Basic concepts and terminology.

• A description of the general methods used when working in Cubase SE.

In other words, this book does not go into detail on any Cubase SE windows, functions or procedures. The Getting Started book comes as a printed book but is also available as a pdf document.

The Operation Manual

The Operation Manual is the main Cubase SE reference documentation, with detailed descriptions of Cubase SE operations, parameters, functions and techniques. You should be familiar with the concepts and methods described in the Getting Started book before moving on to the Operation Manual.

CUBASE SE

Introduction 1 – 9

MIDI Devices and Features

Contains descriptions of the included MIDI effect plug-ins; how to manage MIDI Devices; how to work with MIDI System Exclusive messages; how to use the Input Transformer and how to apply Logical Presets.

Audio Effects and VST Instruments

Describes the features and parameters of the included VST plug-ins (real-time audio effects and VST instruments).

The Help System

Cubase SE comes with a detailed help system, making it easy to look up procedures and descriptions from within the program. The contents of the help basically mirror the complete Operation Manual text. The help systems are slightly different depending on which operating system you use, Windows or Mac OS X:

HTML Help (Windows)

You use the HTML Help in the following way:

• To open the HTML Help for browsing, select “HTML Help” from the Help menu in the program.

This brings up the HTML Help browser in which you can browse the help table of contents, search the index or perform a free text search.

• To get information about the active window or a dialog, press [F1] on the computer keyboard or click the Help button in the actual dialog.

Within a topic, related topics are sometimes directly accessible via clickable links.

Apple Help (Mac OS X)

You use the Apple Help in the following way:

• To open the Apple Help for browsing, select “Cubase SE Help” from the Help menu in the program.

This brings up the Apple Help Viewer window. There, you can either browse the help table of contents, use the index or type any words into the Search field at the top of the window.

• To get information about the active window or a dialog, press [F1] on the computer keyboard or click the Help button in the actual dialog.

Within a topic, related topics are sometimes directly accessible via clickable links.

CUBASE SE

1 – 10 Introduction

Please note that when you have started the program once, you can open the Cubase SE Help even when the program isn’t running:

Select “Mac Help” from the Help menu in the Finder.

From the Library menu, select “Cubase SE Help”.

About the program versions

Some features and settings are specific to one of the platforms, Windows or Mac OS X. This is clearly stated.

The screenshots are taken from the Windows version of Cubase SE.

Key command conventions

Many of the default key commands in Cubase SE use modifier keys, some of which are different depending on the operating system. For example, the default key command for Undo is [Ctrl]-[Z] under Windows and [Command]-[Z] under Mac OS X.

When key commands with modifier keys are described in this manual, they are shown with the Windows modifier key first, in the following way:

[Win modifier key]/[Mac modifier key]-[key]

For example, [Ctrl]/[Command]-[Z] means “press [Ctrl] under Windows or [Command] under Mac OS X, then press [Z]”.

Similarly, [Alt]/[Option]-[X] means “press [Alt] under Windows or [Option] under Mac OS X, then press [X]”.

CUBASE SE

Introduction 1 – 11

How you can reach us

On the Help menu in Cubase SE, you will find items for getting additional information and help:

•

On the “Steinberg on the Web” submenu you can find links to various Steinberg websites. Selecting one will automatically launch your browser application and open the page.

You can find support and compatibility information, answers to frequently asked questions, links for downloading new drivers, etc. This requires that you have a web browser application installed on your computer, and a working Internet connection.

CUBASE SE

1 – 12 Introduction

Installation and Requirements

for Windows

About this chapter

This chapter describes the system requirements and installation procedures for Cubase SE for Windows. Installing Cubase SE for Mac OS X is described on page 26.

Requirements

To use Cubase SE, you need the following:

•

A PC with Windows XP installed.

A USB Port is also required.

For more details about the computer requirements, see below.

•

Compatible audio hardware.

By audio hardware we mean a card capable of recording and playing back digital audio using your hard disk as a storage medium. It must also have an appropriate ASIO driver (see page 16) or be Windows Multimedia compatible. Also, to take full advantage of Cubase’s channel i/o bus architecture, audio hardware with multiple inputs and outputs is required.

For MIDI

•

At least one MIDI interface.

•

At least one MIDI instrument.

•

Any audio equipment necessary to listen to the sound from your MIDI devices.

CUBASE SE

2 – 14 Installation and Requirements for Windows

Computer requirements

Hardware – PC

The minimum requirements for running Cubase SE on a PC are:

• A 800MHz Pentium processor or Athlon processor and Windows XP.

• 384MB of RAM.

• Monitor and graphics card supporting 1024 x 768 resolution.

• A free USB port for the copy protection key.

• A DVD ROM drive.

For optimum performance we recommend the following:

• Pentium or Athlon processor at 2.8GHz or faster.

• 512MB of RAM.

• A monitor setup with 1152 x 864 screen resolution or higher.

RAM

Audio work requires a lot of RAM! In fact, there is a direct relation between the amount of available RAM and the number of audio channels that you can have running. As specified earlier, 384 MB is the minimum requirement, but as a general rule “the more the better” applies.

Hard disk size

•

The size of the hard disk determines how many minutes of audio you will be able to record.

Recording one minute of stereo CD quality audio, requires 10 MB of hard disk space. That is, eight stereo tracks in Cubase SE use up at least 80 MB of disk space per recording minute.

Hard disk speed

The speed of the hard drive also determines the number of audio tracks you can run. That is the quantity of information that the disk can read, usually expressed as “sustained transfer rate”. Again, “the more the better” applies.

Wheel mouse

Although a regular mouse will work fine with Cubase SE, we recommend that you use a wheel mouse, as this will speed up value editing and scrolling considerably. See page 66 and page 71.

CUBASE SE

Installation and Requirements for Windows 2 – 15

Audio hardware

Cubase SE will run with audio hardware that meets the following basic specifications:

• Stereo.

• 16 bit.

• Support of at least the 44.1kHz sampling rate.

• Is supplied with a special ASIO driver, or a DirectX or Windows Multimedia compatible driver as described below.

About drivers

A driver is a piece of software that allows a program to communicate with a certain piece of hardware. In this case, the driver allows Cubase SE to use the audio hardware. For audio hardware, there are three different cases, each requiring different driver configurations:

If the audio hardware has a specific ASIO driver

Professional audio cards often come with an ASIO driver written especially for the card. This allows for communication directly between Cubase SE and the audio card. As a result, audio cards with specific ASIO drivers can provide lower latency (input-output delay), which is crucial when monitoring audio via Cubase SE or using VST Instruments. The ASIO driver may also provide special support for multiple inputs and outputs, routing, synchronization, etc.

Audio card-specific ASIO drivers are provided by the card manufacturers. Make sure to check the manufacturer’s web site for the latest driver versions.

If your audio hardware comes with a specific ASIO driver we strongly recommend that you use this.

CUBASE SE

2 – 16 Installation and Requirements for Windows

If the audio card communicates via DirectX

DirectX is a Microsoft “package” for handling various types of Multimedia under Windows. Cubase SE supports DirectX, or to be more precise, DirectSound, which is a part of DirectX used for playing back and recording audio. This requires two types of drivers:

• A DirectX driver for the audio card, allowing it to communicate with DirectX. If the audio card supports DirectX, this driver should be supplied by the audio card manufacturer. If it isn’t installed with the audio card, please check the manufacturer’s web site for more information.

• The ASIO DirectX Full Duplex driver, allowing Cubase SE to communicate with DirectX. This driver is included with Cubase SE, and does not require any special installation.

If the audio card communicates via Windows Multimedia system

If the card is Windows compatible, it can be used in Cubase SE. The card then communicates with Windows Multimedia system, which in turn communicates with Cubase SE. This requires two types of drivers:

• A Windows Multimedia driver for the audio card, allowing it to communicate with the Windows Multimedia system. This driver should be supplied by the audio card manufacturer, and is normally installed when you install the audio card.

• The ASIO Multimedia driver, allowing Cubase SE to communicate with the Windows Multimedia system. This driver is included with Cubase SE, and does not require any special installation.

CUBASE SE

Installation and Requirements for Windows 2 – 17

Hardware installation

About the copy protection key

Please read the following section before installing the program software.

New users

Included with the Cubase SE package, you will find a hardware key (sometimes referred to as a “dongle”) that is part of the Cubase SE copy protection scheme. Cubase SE will not run if this key isn’t installed properly.

•

You should first install the program (and any necessary hardware, see below), then insert the protection key and finally launch the program.

This is because the necessary drivers for the key are installed when you install the program.

If you’re upgrading from a previous version of Cubase SE/LE

•

If you already own a copy protection key, you need to activate that key for use with your new Cubase SE version. This is done by means of the activation code included in the upgrade package, after installing the program, see page 22.

•

If your previous version of Cubase SE/LE was not hardware-protected by a Steinberg Key, you now need to purchase this key separately. The key then needs to be activated. This is done by means of the activation code included in the upgrade package, after installing the program, see page 22.

The Steinberg Key

CUBASE SE

2 – 18 Installation and Requirements for Windows

The Steinberg Key is, in fact, a little computer on which your Steinberg software licenses are stored. All hardware-protected Steinberg products use the same type of key, and you can store more than one license on one key. Also, licenses can (within certain limits) be transferred between keys – which is helpful, e.g. if you want to sell a piece of software.

•

The installation routine will initiate a restart of Windows after installation of the key drivers and the program software. After the restart, you can plug the key into the USB port to proceed with the key activation.

The Steinberg Key must not be plugged in before or during the installation of Cubase SE if this is the first time you use such a key. Otherwise the operating system of your computer will register it as new USB hardware and try to find drivers that won’t be present before the installation of Cubase SE.

Installing the audio hardware and its driver

Install the audio card and related equipment in the computer, as described in the card’s documentation.

2. Install the driver for the card.

There are three types of drivers that could apply: card-specific ASIO drivers, DirectX drivers and Windows Multimedia drivers:

Specific ASIO driver

If your audio card has a specific ASIO driver it may be included with the audio card, but you should always make sure to check the audio card manufacturer’s web site for the most recent drivers. For details on how to install the driver, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions.

DirectX driver

If your audio card is DirectX compatible, its DirectX drivers will most likely be installed when you install the card (as with the Windows Multimedia driver). If you have downloaded special DirectX drivers for the audio card, you should follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions.

CUBASE SE

Installation and Requirements for Windows 2 – 19

Windows Multimedia driver

These drivers are normally included with all types of regular PC audio cards. Some are even included with Windows itself. Depending on whether the audio card is “Plug’n’Play compatible” or not, the installation of the card is done differently:

• If the card is “Plug’n’Play compatible”, Windows will detect the card once it is plugged in, and ask for the necessary driver disks.

• If not, you need to use the “Add New Hardware” feature in the Control Panel to install the card and its drivers.

Refer to the documentation that comes with the card.

Should you have an audio card but no driver, please check the manufacturer’s web site, or ask your music or computer dealer for help.

Testing the card

To make sure the audio card will work as expected, perform the following two tests:

• Use any software included with the audio card to make sure you can record and play back audio without problems.

• If the card is accessed via a standard Windows driver, use the Media Player application (included with Windows) to play back audio.

Installing a MIDI interface/synthesizer card

Installation instructions for a MIDI interface should be included with the product. However, here’s an outline of the necessary steps:

1. Install the interface (or MIDI synthesizer card) inside your computer or connect it to a “port” (connector) on the computer.

Which is right for you depends on which type of interface you have.

2. If the interface has a power supply and/or a power switch, turn it on.

3. Install the driver for the interface, as described in the documentation

that comes with the interface.

It is likely that you will need a CD ROM or floppy disk supplied by the manufacturer of the MIDI interface. You should also make sure to check the manufacturer’s web site for the latest driver updates.

CUBASE SE

2 – 20 Installation and Requirements for Windows

Installing Cubase SE

Defragment the hard disk

If you plan to record audio on a hard disk where you have already stored other files, now is the time to defragment it. Defragmentation reorganizes the physical allocation of space on the hard disk in order to optimize its performance. It is done with a special defragmentation program. In Windows XP, for example, you might look for the “Disk Defragmenter” utility.

It is crucial to the audio recording performance that your hard disk is optimized (defragmented). You should make sure to defragment regularly.

Installing the files from the DVD-ROM

The installation procedure puts all files in the right places, automatically.

1. Insert the Cubase SE DVD-ROM.

2. In the window that appears, double-click the Setup.exe.

This starts the installation procedure for the Syncrosoft License Control Center.

3. Remove all copy protection keys (if plugged) and click the “Next” button to continue.

4. You will be asked to read and confirm the license agreement (shown on screen).

This is required for the installation to proceed.

5. Install the drivers for the copy protection key and click the “Next” button to continue.

6. Click the “Finish” button to finish the installation of the License Control Center.

Now the installation of Cubase SE will begin automatically:

7. You will be asked to read and confirm the license agreement (shown on screen).

This is required for the installation to proceed.

CUBASE SE

Installation and Requirements for Windows 2 – 21

8. At one point you will be asked whether Cubase SE should be available to all users of the computer or just to you.

Choose the option that suits you best.

9. Finally, a dialog box informs you that the installation was successful and recommends that you restart your computer.

Remove the DVD-ROM and store it in a safe place.

Setting up the protection key

If you are a new Cubase SE user

1. After restarting the computer, plug in the hardware protection key into the USB port.

If you are unsure which port this is, consult the computer’s documentation.

2. The first time the copy protection device is plugged in, it will be registered as a new hardware device, and a dialog will appear asking you whether you would like to find drivers for the device manually or automatically.

3. Choose to find drivers automatically.

The dialog closes.

4. You are now ready to launch Cubase SE!

If you are upgrading from a previous version of Cubase SE/LE

• For the activation of the copy protection key, you need a working internet connection, as this is performed online. In case you have no connection to the internet on the computer on which you wish to use Cubase SE, you can always use a different computer for activation.

Simply install the License Control Center separately on the internet computer, without installing the complete product. To do this, the product installation DVD contains a dedicated installer called “SyncrosoftLicenseControlSetup”. You can also find up-todate versions of this installer for Mac and PC at www.syncrosoft.com/downloads/index.html.

Whether you bought a new Steinberg key or whether you are using an existing Steinberg key: this key does not yet contain the necessary license. You must download this license before you can launch the program.

CUBASE SE

2 – 22 Installation and Requirements for Windows

To activate the protection key for use with your new Cubase SE version, proceed as follows:

1. After restarting the computer, plug in your protection key into the USB port.

2. Make sure that your computer has a working internet connection.

3. Locate the activation code in the upgrade package and keep it at hand.

4. Launch the “License Control Center” application (found under “Syncro-

soft” on the Start menu).

This application allows you to view your USB protection keys and activate them for new applications by downloading licenses.

5. Use the License Control Center “Wizard” function to download a license for your new program version to your protection key.

This requires that you enter your activation code – just follow the instructions on screen. If you are uncertain about how to proceed, consult the help for LCC.

6. When the activation is complete, you are ready to launch Cubase SE!

For information about product updates, you should check the Steinberg website regularly. Open the “Steinberg on the Web” submenu on the Help menu and select “Product Updates”. The website that opens contains a list with the recent updates.

Registering your software will make sure you are entitled to technical support and kept aware of updates and other news regarding Cubase SE. For full support services, you need to register by sending in your registration card.

Installation and Requirements for Windows 2 – 23

CUBASE SE

The items on the start menu

If you open the Windows Start menu, you will find a Cubase SE group on the “Programs” submenu. This contains the following items:

• Documentation.

On this submenu you can access the various Cubase SE documentation files in the Acrobat pdf format. These documents are also available on the Help menu from within the program.

• ASIO Multimedia Setup.

This opens a dialog with settings for the ASIO (Audio Stream Input Output) system, which handles audio recording and playback in Cubase SE, if you are using the ASIO MME driver. This dialog can also be opened from within Cubase SE. See the chapter

“Setting up your system” in this book.

• Cubase SE.

This launches the actual program.

• Cubase SE 3 application data folder.

This opens the application data folder, where your Cubase SE settings are stored.

On the “Programs” submenu you will also find an item called Syncrosoft (License Control Center). This item shows all Syncrosoft protection devices and valid licenses currently installed and allows you to download new licenses to your protection key.

There may also be additional items (such as Readme files) available on the Start menu. Please read all such files before launching Cubase SE, since they may contain late information not included in the manuals.

CUBASE SE

2 – 24 Installation and Requirements for Windows

Installation and Requirements

for Mac OS X

About this chapter

This chapter describes the system requirements and installation procedures for Cubase SE for Mac OS X. Installing Cubase SE for Windows is described on page 14.

Requirements

To use Cubase SE, you need the following:

• A Macintosh computer running Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4.

A USB Port is also required.

For more details about the computer requirements, see below.

• Mac OS X compatible audio hardware.

While the built-in audio hardware of the Macintosh may be adequate for basic audio playback, we strongly recommend audio hardware that is specifically designed for audio recording and music applications. Also, to take full advantage of Cubase’s multi-channel i/o bus architecture, audio hardware with multiple inputs and outputs is required.

For MIDI

• At least one MIDI interface.

• At least one MIDI instrument.

• Any audio equipment necessary to listen to the sound from your MIDI

devices.

CUBASE SE

3 – 26 Installation and Requirements for Mac OS X

Computer requirements

Hardware – Mac

The absolute minimum requirements for running Cubase SE on a Macintosh are as follows:

• A G4 with 867MHz and OS X 10.3 or 10.4.

• 384MB RAM.

• Monitor and graphics card supporting 1024 x 768 resolution.

• A free USB port for the copy protection key.

• A DVD ROM drive.

For optimum performance we recommend the following:

• A G5 dual processor with 1.8GHz or faster.

• 512MB RAM.

• A monitor setup with 1152 x 864 screen resolution or higher.

RAM

Audio work requires a lot of RAM! In fact, there is a direct relation between the amount of available RAM and the number of audio channels that you can have running. As specified earlier, 384MB is the minimum requirement, but as a general rule “the more the better” applies.

Hard disk size

• The size of the hard disk determines how many minutes of audio you will be able to record.

Recording one minute of stereo CD quality audio, requires 10MB of hard disk space. That is, eight stereo tracks in Cubase SE use up at least 80MB of disk space per recording minute.

Hard disk speed

CUBASE SE

Installation and Requirements for Mac OS X 3 – 27

Mouse

Although a regular mouse will work fine with Cubase SE, we recommend that you use a wheel mouse with two mouse buttons.

• Having a wheel mouse will speed up value editing and scrolling considerably.

• If your mouse has two mouse buttons you should program the right mouse button to generate a [Ctrl]-click (this is typically the default behavior of the right mouse button).

This will allow you to bring up context menus by right clicking (see page 63).

Audio hardware

Cubase SE will run with audio hardware that meets the following basic specifications:

• Stereo.

• 16 bit.

• Support of at least the 44.1kHz sampling rate.

• Is supplied with proper Mac OS X (Core Audio) drivers.

A basic rule of thumb is: if the hardware works under Mac OS X, you can use it in Cubase SE.

• Cubase SE also supports audio hardware with Mac OS X compliant ASIO drivers.

ASIO drivers may provide special support for routing, monitoring, synchronization, etc. Note that the ASIO drivers must be written specifically for Mac OS X – Mac OS 9.X ASIO drivers cannot be used.

Using the built-in audio hardware of the Macintosh

Although Cubase SE is designed with multi-channel input and output in mind, it’s of course possible to use the program with “basic” stereo inputs and outputs. As of this writing, all current Macintosh models have built-in 16 bit stereo audio hardware. Depending on your preferences and requirements, this may be sufficient for use with Cubase SE. The built-in audio hardware is always available for selection in Cubase SE – you don’t need to install any additional drivers.

Some Macintosh models have audio outputs but no inputs. This means that you can only play back audio – recording is not possible without additional audio hardware.

CUBASE SE

3 – 28 Installation and Requirements for Mac OS X

Hardware installation

About the copy protection key

Please read the following section before installing the program software.

New users

• You should first install the program (and any necessary hardware, see below), then insert the protection key and finally launch the program.

This is because the necessary drivers for the key are installed when you install the program.

If you’re upgrading from a previous version of Cubase SE/LE

• If you already own a copy protection key, you need to activate that key for use with your new Cubase SE version. This is done by means of the activation code included in the upgrade package, after installing the program, see page 31.

• If your previous version of Cubase SE/LE was not hardware-protected by a Steinberg Key, you now need to purchase this key separately. The key then needs to be activated. This is done by means of the activation code included in the upgrade package, after installing the program, see page 31.

The Steinberg Key

CUBASE SE

Installation and Requirements for Mac OS X 3 – 29

• During the installation routine, be sure to read the information regarding the Steinberg Key that is displayed during the installation process.

Installing the audio hardware and its driver

1. Make sure you have the latest Mac OS X drivers for the audio hardware!

Please check the manufacturer’s web site for the latest versions.

2. Install the driver(s) for the audio hardware.

This is usually done by running an installer application.

3. Install or connect the audio interface, as described in the card’s documentation.

Installing a MIDI interface

1. Make sure you have the latest Mac OS X drivers for the MIDI interface!

Please check the manufacturer’s web site for the latest versions.

2. Install the driver(s) for the interface.

This is usually done by running an installer application.

3. Connect the MIDI interface to the computer, as described in the interface documentation.

CUBASE SE

3 – 30 Installation and Requirements for Mac OS X

+ 167 hidden pages